Also on Tuesday, deputies and senators will meet in a joint committee to try to find a compromise on the first part of the government's legislative triptych on energy, the renewable energy acceleration bill.
After these two technical texts carried at arm's length by the Minister of Energy Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher, is expected, at best in June, the energy programming bill which must set the trajectories of France in each energy.
A calendar contested by parliamentarians, who accuse the government of legislating in disorder.
The text to be voted on Tuesday simplifies administrative procedures in order to promote the construction of new reactors.
It will be examined by the National Assembly in turn in March, and should make it possible to concretize the relaunch of an "ambitious and sustainable" nuclear policy initiated by Emmanuel Macron.
An objective shared by almost all senators, with the exception of environmentalists for whom "this new nuclear power goes against the grain of history".
French Energy Transition Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher visits the Chinon nuclear power plant in central-western France on October 28, 2022 © GUILLAUME SOUVANT / AFP/Archives
In addition to the Republicans and the centrists, the groups RDPI with a majority Renaissance, RDSE with a radical majority and Independents have already announced that they will vote for the text.
The majority communist group CRCE will abstain.
The Socialists have yet to determine their position, hostile to the political scope given by the senatorial right.
"We don't waste time"
The President of the Republic has announced his intention to build six new reactors, with an option for eight others.
The bill is limited to new installations located on existing nuclear sites, or near them.
This for a period limited to 15 years in the initial text, increased to 27 years by the Senate.
Concretely, the sites will be exempted from town planning authorization because the control of conformity will be ensured by the State.
The right of expropriation will be relaxed.
Or even work on buildings not intended to receive radioactive substances could be started before closing the public inquiry.
The EDF Golfech nuclear power plant at night in Dunes, in the south-west of France, on January 3, 2023 © CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP / Archives
“Basically, we are not wasting time,” summarized the Minister for Energy Transition, specifying that these provisions will “not add a period of two to three years to the construction of a reactor”.
The next two EPRs should be located in Penly (Seine-Maritime), followed by two others in Gravelines (North), according to EDF's plans.
Ms. Pannier-Runacher put forward the objective of 2027 - "rather the end of 2027" - for "the first pour of concrete" and "2035-2037" for commissioning.
"Locks"
The senators have widened the scope of this technical text, by breaking down the "locks" of the current energy programming law.
In particular, they removed the objective of reducing the nuclear share of electricity production to 50% by 2035, and imposed the revision of the decree which provides for the closure of 12 existing reactors, in addition to the two in Fessenheim. .
Provisions which may be reviewed in the wake of the parliamentary shuttle, but which have aroused strong reactions.
The organization Greenpeace France judged these amendments "scandalous", and accused the Senate of "sabotage the democratic debate".
For the organizers of the current public debate on future reactors, this amounts to considering this debate "as without interest".
The senators also adopted a series of amendments on "two major axes: simplify and secure".
In particular, it involves integrating the risks linked to climate change in the safety demonstration of reactors, and cyber-resilience in their protection against malicious acts.
France, which derives about 70% of its electricity from nuclear power, decided in 2015 to close 14 of its 58 reactors, before a reversal announced by the President of the Republic in favor of a new nuclear power.
© 2023 AFP